Lithuanian immigrant raped and battered woman ONE MONTH after arriving in the UK

A Lithuanian immigrant raped and battered a woman just ONE MONTH after arriving in the UK – following his release from prison for an identical attack in his own country.

Gintas Burinskas, 36, walked into Britain unchecked just three months after serving 10 years behind bars for raping a woman in Lithuania.

Within a month of moving to Northampton he subjected a 31-year-old woman to a harrowing sex attack in the early hours of Boxing Day last year.

Burinskas grabbed the woman by the throat as she passed him in the street and throttled her until she passed out.

He then dragged her unconscious body to nearby trees and bushes before she woke up with him on top of her.

He then smashed her in the face and broke her jaw and tried to suffocate her again while pouring cider over her face.

The woman managed to get away briefly when Burinskas had his back turned, but he kicked her legs away and stamped on her stomach before raping her for 10 minutes.

He fled the scene after the attack, and she managed to flee covered in blood to a hotel.

Police were called and he was arrested nearby a short time later.

The victim was taken to Northampton General Hospital where she was treated for cuts and bruises and a fractured jaw.

Burinskas, who has a string of previous convictions in Lithuania, including rape, burglary and drugs, pleaded guilty to rape and grievous bodily harm last month.

But at Northampton Crown Court on Thursday a judge caused outrage by sentencing Burinskas to ten years in jail – meaning he is likely to serve just four-and-a-half years.

The judge gave Burinskas credit for his early guilty plea and reduced his sentence from 12 to seven years for the rape.

He was also handed an additional four years in prison for grievous bodily harm, to be served concurrently, and given an extra period of three years, to be served consecutively.

Sentencing Judge Rupert Mayo told him: “You came to the UK and committed these offences within a month of arriving in the country.

“I believe you pose a significant risk of causing harm to others by committing other offences.”

The court heard how the terrifying attack had left the victim suffering depression and requiring counselling.

Prosecutor James House said: “The victim is now very fearful about going out and is particularly fearful if she hears a foreign language being spoken close to her.

“She had tried to get away – but he was too strong. She even grabbed him in the groin to try to get him off.

“She shouted for help – but her calls went unheeded.”

Afterwards local politicians and rape charities condemned the sentence and demanded to know how Burinskas had been allowed to enter the UK unchecked.

Burinskas has previously served a total of 19 years behind bars in Lithuania, including 10 years for rape, three years for aggravated burglary, and six years for the illicit consumption of drugs in prison.

Prominent MP Michael Ellis joined the condemnation of the sentence given to Burinskas.

The Northampton North MP , who is also a member of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “I’m not sure how the sentence length of this evil man’s second identical crime can be shorter than his first.

“This was a vicious, horrific and sustained attack with devastating consequences for the helpless victim.

“He is obviously pathologically dangerous and I would urge the prosecution to appeal to the Attorney General to review the length of this sentence.”

Northampton Labour councillor Iftikhar Ahmed Choudary added: “We desperately need stricter laws regarding these people coming into the country, this guy should never have been given the leeway he had to do this.

“The public feel that a lot of criminal activities going on in the area are linked to Lithuanians.

“So many Europeans travel to the country to commit crimes, then disappear before we know where we are.

“Then they come back some time later and do it again.

“We need much stricter border controls to sort it out.

“Anyone coming into the UK should give finger print details, and we need to be checking them out as they come in.

“The national government has failed to keep track of people coming across the borders.”

Dawn Thomas, who runs the Northampton branch of charity Rape Crisis, said: “The fact a man who was convicted of rape in his own country was allowed to come over to ours so easily and commit the very same crime is something which is of grave concern to us.

“This should not have been allowed to happen.”

But after the case Detective Constable Paul Houghton-Graeger, from Northamptonshire Police, said the sentence “sent out a strong message.”